XN000022-1993-10-06 — Page 53

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993

UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION WHICH WE AGREED WITH CHINA, AND UNDER CHINA'S BASIC LAW FOR HONG KONG, THERE ARE TWO ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL POINTS. FIRST, THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR SYSTEM AFTER 1997. SECOND, THAT WE SHOULD MOVE STEADILY TOWARDS DEMOCRACY NOT TOO FAST, BUT ALWAYS MAKING PROGRESS

BE AN ENTIRELY ELECTED BODY.

GET

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AND THAT OUR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD

WHAT MAKES UP OUR SYSTEM?

OF COURSE, IT'S A FREE ECONOMY

=

WELL,

WITH EVERYONE ABLE TO ON AND RUN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. BUT ALL THAT WORKS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE RULE OF LAW. TAKE THAT AWAY AND HONG KONG CEASES ΤΟ BE SPECIAL, CEASES TO BE DIFFERENT. FOR ONE THING, YOU GET CORRUPTION WHICH IS ANYWAY A PROBLEM AND WHICH WE'RE TAKING NEW STEPS TO TACKLE AND YOU DRIVE AWAY INVESTORS.

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RULE

AN HONESTLY, OPENLY, FAIRLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE IS PART OF THE OF LAW. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR THE LEGCO ELECTIONS, WILL YOU HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD ANYWHERE ELSE?

WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THESE ISSUES WITH CHINA, AT OUR REQUEST, FOR MANY MONTHS. YOU'VE BEEN PATIENT, AND I GUESS OCCASIONALLY PRETTY FRUSTRATED BY THIS WHOLE ARGUMENT. IT'S NOW AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD SPEED UP DEMOCRATISATION THOUGH SOME PEOPLE THINK IT SHOULD BE. IT'S AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHETHER OUR ELECTIONS ARE GOING TO BE FAIR, OR NOT.

I CAN IMAGINE YOU THINKING "WHY, IF ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD PEOPLE CAN RESOLVE THEIR SERIOUS DIFFERENCES, CAN'T BRITAIN AND OUR GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, AND CHINA, SORT OUT THIS QUESTION QUICKLY AND AMICABLY?"

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SITS

LAW,

I MUST SAY I AM SYMPATHETIC WITH THAT VIEW. EVERYTHING WE'VE SUGGESTED

NOT LEAST THE BIG CONCESSIONS WE'VE OFFERED PERFECTLY COMFORTABLY WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION, WITH THE BASIC WITH THE PROMISE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG, WITH THE VISIONARY CONCEPT OF "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" AND EVERYTHING WE'VE SAID ABOUT THE "THROUGH TRAIN" MAKES ABUNDANT SENSE, TOO.

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WE NEED TO HAVE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE "THROUGH TRAIN" THAT THOSE WHO MAY WANT TO RUN FOR ELECTION TO LEGCO AS WELL

AS THOSE WHO VOTE FOR THEM IN 1995 KNOW BEFOREHAND WHAT THE RULES OF THE GAME WILL BE.

SO

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SO I HOPE WE CAN REACH A SOLUTION. I DON'T THINK THAT WE IN HONG KONG ARE THE STUMBLING BLOCK, ANYMORE THAN WE ARE IN THE TALKS ON THE AIRPORT AND ON THE CONTAINER TERMINAL.

TIME, UNFORTUNATELY, IS TICKING AWAY. IF WE CAN'T REACH AN AGREEMENT SOON, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO TRY TO WORK THINGS OUT AS BEST WE CAN HERE IN HONG KONG.

BUT I WANT YOU TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS.

I MUST AND WILL STAND UP FOR OUR SYSTEM. BUT YOUR GOVERNMENT CAN'T BE BOLDER THAN YOU. WE CAN'T GO FURTHER THAN YOU THINK IS WISE. BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO LESS FAR EITHER.

/THIS IS